the attraction of adultery

There’s no doubt about it, adultery can be attractive . The temptation of the forbidden, the promise and allure of a new experience. In September 2009 a survey of 3,000 people suggested that 40% of women and 30% of men have cheated on their partners. A third of the women suggested that their indiscretion had happened because their flirting got out of hand.

The pain and damage of unfaithfulness is massive.

Which is why the language surrounding the unfaithfulness of God’s people is so stark. “They whored after other gods,” in the ESV or they “prostituted themselves to other gods,” in the NIV translation of Judges 2:17.

When God’s people worship other gods, they are cheapening themselves on a grand scale and causing huge damage to the most intimate of relationships. They are breaking the most important commandment. It is the most serious sin. And so often it is because flirting has got out of hand. OK, not many of us bow down to wooden poles these days but the gods of the modern world are many and the chances are you’ve flirted with some of them. What starts as a casual, thrill seeking experience becomes idolatry. Before you know it, you’re being unfaithful to the LORD.

And God does not ignore unfaithfulness. He doesn’t turn a blind eye. God deals with it. “Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm,” Judges 2:15. That’s uncomfortable reading isn’t it? We don’t like to think that God would do that – that He would deal with His people like that. But our God is a jealous God. He loves us and He will not tolerate rivals.

The LORD is the only true God, the only one worthy of our worship. We have the most amazing relationship with Him through faith in the saving work of Jesus. If we want to be secure in a changing world, faithfulness to the unchanging God is the only sure way. Don’t worship another god. Don’t even flirt with one.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

2 Comments:

Your not going to like what I put here but this isn’t against you or anyone else within the church.

Let’s talk about adultery within the church, hasn’t this been going on for centuries and it’s a old argument because to be honest it’s always been about control. I watched the rogramme on Sunday about the bible and he admitted that if the teachers who wrote the bible had even had arguments about what to include or take away if they didn’t agree with what was written, it’s not surprising really how the catholic church is so powerful. In this country remember paganism was the in thing until the catholics tried to convert everyone, putting them to death if they didn’t agree with them. Can you seee something here, a lot of church within the UK started like this over the centuries, check the history and it’s all there for everyone to see how control has been a issue within the church. Anything can be a god, even comtrol but that’s another subject for later on lol.
Anyway, over the years we’re had the catholics, then some people decided to leave that group and start their own group, the church of england, then the methodists and many more until we see the A.O.G and also the free churches like the one you go too, so is this a form of flitting from one place to anohter, just like relationships, you can’t stay with the same old thing forever. I wonder how many people have gone from one church to the next because they didn’t agree with the leaders of the place, not much different to the adultery your talking about.
Oh and by the way, anything that takes your away from God, including going to the pub, music, football, buying that new car, pride and anything else you can mention is also adultery so how many are doing this within the church, at least the ones who follow a different god does it in the open where the church only hide’s behind the door and also under the carpet. I know this sounds harsh but this isn’t a attack against you or anyone within New Frontiers but this has been going on for many years and isn’t it about time they were true to themselves like others do outside the place.

Mmm… I guess your view of new church movements depends (as ever) on your perspective. I would suggest that most renewals come from a fresh revelation and move of the Spirit that the established churches cannot contain and that in time each new movement runs the risk of becoming an established church unable to contain the next renewal. Which is why it keeps happening. A danger Newfrontiers will not be immune to.

And yes, control and some form of idolatry are often issues at those times.

You are also right that unfaithfulness is an issue in the church today. No Christian goes untempted in this area which is why the bible warns us about the dangers. If I didn’t think it was relevant I wouldn’t have posted on it.

I don’t take your comment personally. I do take care not to flirt with the enemy.